364 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland
View on mapAkarangi | Quality Evaluation evaluates the extent to which this early childhood service has the learning and organisational conditions to support equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners. Te Ara Poutama- indicators of quality for early childhood education: what matters most (PDF 3.01MB) are the basis for making judgements about the effectiveness of the service in achieving equity and excellence for all learners. The Akarangi Quality Evaluation Judgement Rubric (PDF 91.30KB) derived from the indicators, is used to inform the ERO’s judgements about this service’s performance in promoting equity and excellence.
ERO’s judgements for Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga are as follows:
Outcome Indicators |
ERO’s judgement |
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What the service knows about outcomes for learners |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Ngā Akatoro Domains |
ERO’s judgement |
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He Whāriki Motuhake The learner and their learning |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Whakangungu Ngaio Collaborative professional learning builds knowledge and capability |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Ngā Aronga Whai Hua Evaluation for improvement |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
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Kaihautū Leaders foster collaboration and improvement |
Kia rangatira ai te tipu Excelling |
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Te Whakaruruhau Stewardship through effective governance and management |
Whakawhanake Sustaining |
Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga is one of three privately owned services. The owner leads and manages operations for the group of centres. A manager is responsible for daily operations, supported by a curriculum leader. The service philosophy has been inspired by and draws on the Reggio Emilia approach that is based on children’s self-directed learning. The philosophy also references Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) which focuses on infants as independent learners.
The service operates on the principles of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga. Teachers’ bicultural practices have strengthened and are consistently reflected in their teaching practices.
Children benefit from a calm and unhurried environment. Regular communication with families ensures that teaching approaches are sensitively tailored to support individual children’s learning and care. Children and families also benefit from leaders’ and teachers’ flexible approaches to helping children and whānau transition into and through the centre, and onto school.
Children confidently engage in a rich curriculum in a well-resourced environment. Teachers interact with children responsively and respectfully, providing them with experiences that support their collaboration, inquiry and play. As a result, infants and toddlers have many opportunities to explore, take appropriate risks, and learn through trial and error.
A special feature of the curriculum is a focus on children having positive relationships with food. During mealtimes teachers actively encourage conversations with children about food practices and nutrition. Children are offered the knowledge and vocabulary to help them learn about healthy, balanced approaches to eating.
Children's learning is celebrated in well-planned and spontaneous ways. Children are able to revisit their learning through individual learning portfolios and group curriculum books that show their learning over time. The curriculum leader and teachers regularly collaborate in a robust cycle of assessment, planning and evaluation. This helps them to reflect and carefully plan how to support each child’s learning and wellbeing.
Leaders have high professional expectations. They have built a cohesive and highly collaborative culture that effectively promotes continuous improvement. Teachers have good opportunities to engage in professional development, both nationally and internationally. Leaders and teachers take a strengths-based approach to setting appraisal goals and building teacher capability. This, together with effective internal evaluation, provides a sound basis for leaders and teachers to continue to build a culturally responsive curriculum.
Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga will include the following actions in its Quality Improvement Planning:
Before the review, the staff and management of Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Phil Cowie
Director Review and Improvement Services (Northern)
Northern Region | Te Tai Raki
16 July 2021
| Early Childhood Service Name | Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga |
| Profile Number | 46703 |
| Location | Onehunga, Auckland |
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Service type |
Education and care service |
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Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
|
Percentage of qualified teachers |
80%+ |
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Service roll |
96 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori 4 |
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Review team on site |
May 2021 |
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Date of this report |
16 July 2021 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review, March 2017 |
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
This is the first ERO review of Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga, a privately owned centre that opened in 2015. It provides all-day education and care for up to 75 children, including 30 children under the age of two. The centre is located in a successfully modified commercial building close to the township of Onehunga. Children come from a culturally diverse community. This cultural diversity is reflected in the teaching team.
The centre's philosophy is based on Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and is influenced by Reggio Emilia principles, which promote a programme based on respect, responsibility, and community. It supports children's exploration and discovery based on their interests, in a supportive and enriching environment.
The children are grouped by age into Tiny Tuis, Cheeky Keas and Mighty Moreporks, each group having its own room and outdoor area. There is also a project room upstairs that is sometimes used by older children.
The centre is governed by the owners, one of whom works closely with the centre director. The lead teachers from each room meet regularly with the centre director. These meetings ensure that there is a coordinated approach to children's education and care across the centre.
Teaching approaches are consistent with the centre philosophy, respecting each child's individuality. Teachers work with children to support their learning as they follow their interests. Children experience respectful and supportive relationships with adults and this is reflected in their relationships with other children.
Older children quickly settle when they arrive and soon engage in activities, making choices about how they spend their time. They know centre routines well, and also know that participation in planned activities such as mat times is often optional.
Children's oral language and cognitive development are well supported through the conversations that teachers encourage. The development of early literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge are supported in the context of play. Children enjoy sharing books with their teachers and each other.
Te reo Māori and aspects of Māori culture are very well supported by teachers and visible in the programme and learning environment. Teachers skilfully include te reo Māori into conversations and activities. Centre directors have taken an interest in knowing, and sharing information with children about the local area from a Māori perspective. Matariki was celebrated with the support of students from a local school.
Family cultures are celebrated at the centre. Parents are invited to contribute and participate in events such Fathers' Day, Diwali and the Chinese New Year. Teachers are sometimes able to speak with children and their families in their home languages.
Teachers document their observations of children in individual portfolios. They record what they notice and explain its significance in terms of the child's development. They could now consider ways of recording how they plan to use this information to further support children's learning.
Teachers communicate well with parents and encourage them to share information about their children. Successful information sharing helps teachers to plan programmes and to follow infants' home, food and sleep routines.
The centre is well designed and resourced. Centre directors promote the use of equipment made from natural materials. Children have ready access to indoor and outdoor areas and can easily access appropriate resources to support their play.
The kitchen and dining area is an important part of the centre, helping children to learn about food and nutrition. The qualified chef supports children to gain knowledge and attitudes that promote healthy eating. Children grow vegetables that sometimes contribute to their meals.
Transitions into, through, and from the centre are thoughtfully managed. Children move from Tiny Tuis to Cheeky Keas and on to Mighty Moreporks when they are developmentally ready, rather than by age. The centre is beginning to build relationships with some of the schools that children might move on to.
The centre is well led. Policies are developed and reviewed to ensure that the centre is meeting legal requirements. The professional leadership provided, and the staff appraisal approaches used, support teachers' ongoing professional development. Experienced teachers mentor teachers who are new to the profession.
The owners are strategic in their approach to developing the centre and all staff use internal evaluation to promote improvement.
Centre managers agree that the centre would benefit from strengthening:
strategic planning by identifying and planning for clear improvement focused goals
internal evaluation, through greater use of evaluative questions to guide the review process
Before the review, the staff and management of Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Nurture Early Learning - Onehunga will be in three years.
Steffan Brough
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern (Acting)
25 May 2017
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
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Location |
Onehunga, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
46703 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
75 children, including up to 30 aged under 2 |
||
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Service roll |
84 |
||
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Gender composition |
Boys 45 Girls 39 |
||
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
6 |
|
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:4 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
|
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Review team on site |
March 2017 |
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Date of this report |
25 May 2017 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
No previous ERO reports |
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ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.